The people behind the research
The Element Clinical Research team
Nicholas Fiacco, MD
Dr. Fiacco is a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. He founded Element Clinical Research to bring rigorous, specialist-led clinical trials in metabolic and endocrine disease to Durham and the surrounding Triangle.
As a practicing physician, he brings the clinician's perspective to every protocol — ensuring studies are conducted with scientific integrity and genuine attention to participant experience.
Tanya Munger, DNP, FNP-BC
Tanya Munger, DNP, FNP-BC, is a doctorate-prepared family nurse practitioner with more than 25 years of healthcare experience and nearly 2 decades of independent practice. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and holds specialty certifications in endocrinology and forensic nursing. She also serves as faculty at the Duke University School of Nursing.
Dr. Munger specializes in type 2 diabetes, diabetes management in complex patients, lipid disorders, men’s health, and hereditary endocrine disorders, including MEN1 and MEN2. She has led innovative programs addressing diabetes care and urgent hyperglycemia and brings extensive expertise in diabetes technology, GLP-1 based therapies, and endocrine disease management. A frequent national speaker and featured clinical expert with both local and national news outlets, she is committed to providing evidence-based, personalized care that helps patients achieve better health outcomes.
Mia Sharrock, CCRP
Mia is a Certified Clinical Research Professional with a Master of Science in Nutrition Sciences and years of hands-on coordination experience in metabolic and academic clinical research, including peer-reviewed publications.
She manages day-to-day study operations — participant visits, data quality, and regulatory compliance — and is the friendly first point of contact for study volunteers.